The Cubs thought they had the big bat they've been missing
only to have Fred McGriff say "no thanks" to the team's efforts to spring him
from Tampa Bay.

McGriff informed the Cubs of his decision to remain with
the Devil Rays on Monday. Chicago had agreed to send minor leaguers Jason
Smith and Manny Aybar to Tampa Bay had McGriff waived his no-trade
clause.

After the All-Star break, the Cubs scored just eight runs
in a three-game series against the White Sox, going 2-for-26 with runners in
scoring position.

McGriff would have provided needed protection for Sammy
Sosa. Cubs cleanup hitters are last in the NL in total bases and runs scored
and next-to-last in average.

The Cubs reportedly offered McGriff his choice of a guaranteed
option for next year or permitting him to become a free agent after this season.

Left fielder Rondell White aggravated his strained left groin July
13, and the Cubs placed him on the DL on Monday.

"We're not going to rush him back out there, and we're
not going to use him as a pinch-hitter," manager Don Baylor said.

Until White returns, Baylor plans to split the time in
left between Roosevelt Brown, Delino DeShields and Corey
Patterson.

Cincinnati Reds

Alex Ochoa, who was hitting higher than .300 most of the season, went
into an 0-for-31 slide, the longest streak of futility for a Red since Mike
LaCoss was 0-for-36 in 1980  and LaCoss was a pitcher.

Ochoa, who doubled his first time up Sunday, wasn't the
only one slumping.

Since May 30, Pokey Reese was hitting .193 (26-for-135)
through Sunday, dropping his average from .270 to .232. Michael Tucker
was 3-for-32 (.094) and Ken Griffey Jr. 6-for-39 (.154), while
batting only .233 for the season.

When Jim Brower lasted five innings Saturday, it marked the 90th consecutive
game a starter had failed to pitch a complete game  a club record to open
a season. The Reds, who made it 91 in a row Sunday, are the only NL team without
a complete game.

Jose Rijo, 36 and on the comeback path, has made starts at Class A
Dayton, Double-A Chattanooga and Triple-A Louisville. In his Triple-A start
Saturday, he gave up two runs, five hits, four walks and struck out two in four
innings.

Rijo hasn't pitched in the majors since 1995 when his elbow
blew out.

"I'm ready," said Rijo, who wants his next game to be for
the Reds.

General manager Jim Bowden isn't biting. "He'll
pitch in five days for Louisville again," Bowden said.

Houston Astros

Jeff Bagwell has come to expect that there's no
avoiding a stretch when nothing goes right at the plate.

"There's always a six-week period every year," he said.
It was present this May and June when Bagwell's average dipped nearly 40 points
below his career average of .305.

While Lance Berkman and Moises Alou had All-Star
first halves and enter the week 1-2 in the NL batting race, Bagwell went through
prolonged periods when he was almost unnoticed, including an 0-for-15 stretch
in late June.

The low points came when he struck out four times for the
first time in his 11-year career June 21 against Cincinnati and when his average
dipped to a season-low .263 on July 6.

But the next day, Bagwell went 3-for-5 with a three-run
homer and a pair of two-run doubles to tie a club record for RBI in a game.
He homered and drove in three runs in the next game, giving him 11 RBI for the
series.

Despite his low average, Bagwell ended the first half with
21 home runs and 68 RBI, both among the NL leaders.

Charlie Hayes' brief stay with the Astros ended July 9 when the seldom-used
third baseman was put on waivers.

Berkman's 21-game hitting streak ended in his first game after the break.
The streak tied the fifth longest in club history. Tony Eusebio set the
record with a 24-game streak in 2000.

Milwaukee Brewers

Geoff Jenkins showed signs of coming out of his
slump, caused in part by a right hand bruised before the All-Star break. Jenkins
homered in consecutive games and drove in a run in four in a row.

He had been having problems gripping a bat because of the
hand problem.

"It's still not 100%, but it's feeling better every day,"
said Jenkins, whose average had dropped about 60 points before he started to
climb again.

Richie Sexson also was looking better with homers
in consecutive games and hits in four in a row.

Mac Suzuki was scheduled to make his Brewers debut Monday. He was picked
up last week from Colorado, where he had a 15.63 ERA.

Because of injuries to Jeff D'Amico and Paul
Rigdon, Suzuki will be given a chance to start.

Jeromy Burnitz sat out Saturday's game after going 0-for-10. He was
hitless in his last 25 at-bats at Miller Park and homerless in 53 at-bats. Angel
Echevarria started in Burnitz's place. Burnitz went 0-for-4 Sunday.

Tyler Houston (sore right foot) and right-hander Mike Buddie
(sprained left ankle) went on the DL on Sunday. Right-hander Gus Gandarillas
and infielder Mike Coolbaugh took their roster spots.

Pittsburgh Pirates

Pittsburgh ended a 33-day search for a general manager
by hiring Dave Littlefield on July 13.

Littlefield spent the past three years as Florida's vice
president/assistant GM. Littlefield, who received a four-year contract, is confident
he can get the Pirates back to contending status.

"A lot of people around baseball see this is a very good
situation with a lot of potential," he said of the Pirates. "You have the new
ballpark. You have an owner who wants to win and is really into baseball. You
have some good young players."

While first-year manager Lloyd McClendon's job is safe, owner Kevin
McClatchy said Littlefield is free to make the changes he wants to put together
a top-notch organization. Interim GM Roy Smith is likely to retain his
job. He and Littlefield have been friends since they were young players in Philadelphia's
farm system 20 years ago.

Littlefield will evaluate the status of assistant GM John
Sirignano, player development director Paul Tinnell and scouting director
Paul White.

Rookie Tike Redman is getting a trial as center fielder and leadoff
hitter after being recalled from Triple-A Nashville on July 12 when Derek
Bell went on the DL with a strained right hamstring.

Redman was hitting .299 with three homers, 34 RBI and 16
steals in 81 games at Nashville. He was with the Pirates briefly in May and
went 0-for-8 with seven strikeouts in four games.

The Pirates finally gave up on outfielder Emil Brown and traded him
to San Diego on July 10 for minor leaguers Shawn Camp, a right-handed
pitcher, and Shawn Garrett, an outfielder. Camp was assigned to Double-A
Altoona and Garrett to Class A Lynchburg.

The Pirates threw back-to-back shutouts against Kansas City. Jimmy Anderson
and Mike Williams combined on a six-hitter on July 12, and Todd Ritchie
threw a one-hitter the next night, losing his no-hit bid on Luis Alicea's one-out
single in the ninth.

St. Louis Cardinals

A week after going through serious soul-searching about
where his career was headed  prompted by an 0-for-29 drought  Mark
McGwire slugged three home runs in his next six games.

The third homer pushed his total to 564, passing Reggie
Jackson for sixth on the all-time list.

Andy Benes, after allowing eight home runs and 18 runs in 11 2/3
innings over three starts, was yanked from the rotation for the first time
in his career.

For the season, he has given up 24 homers in 89 1/3
innings (one every 3.7 innings). Rookie Bud Smith took his spot.

"I'm frustrated," Benes said. "Maybe I'm trying too hard."

All-Star pitcher Matt Morris thinks the Cardinals must think of team
first and not "me."

"If everybody does what they're capable of doing, we
don't need anybody (else)," Morris said. "We have enough right now to win.
But I don't think we've been looking at the big picture."

Hitting coach Mike Easler, who had missed a 10-game trip with a sinus
infection and neck problems, was replaced by minor league roving instructor
Mitchell Page.

Instead of taking an assignment as a rover to reduce the
stress on him, Easler asked for his release.